The grass is always greener
by kobitah
Summary: Apparently there's only 1 huff/CM story so i'm just going to keep it under CM/HP taglines. This is a xover with the two shows. Emily and Beth are cousins. Post season 2 Huff and Post-retaliation CM DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringements intended.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my attempt at a cross-over with Criminal Minds and Huff. Emily and Beth are cousins. This story picks up at the end of season 2 of Huff (where it was cancelled) and season 5 of Criminal Minds, specifically after "Retaliation." This is my first attempt at a crossover so please be kind.

The general idea is that Beth seeks comfort at her cousin's house, while Emily appreciates the fact that she has a distraction from the thoughts that she almost died, and had to watch another man die in front of her.

Just a note, this is starting out as a friendship piece between Hotch and Emily, with the POSSIBILITY of an eventual romance. But I'm not 100% sure on that one yet.

Please read and review.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Criminal Minds or Huff.

* * *

Hotch watched as Emily made her way down the steps, carefully and slowly. This was the second time in as many years that he'd seen her body bruised and beaten as the result of an altercation with an unsub. He hated to see anyone on his team in this state, and in spite of her assertion that she was strong and could handle anything that had been thrown at her, Hotch still felt the need to protect her. He frowned when she hit the bottom step and a moan escaped her lips.

Emily could feel Hotch watching her every move, and she hated it. She didn't know how many times she had to tell him that she was ok. One more time and her head might actually explode. All she wanted to do was get home, take a long hot bath, drink a tall glass of wine, and try to forget the events of the past few days. But deep down, she knew she wouldn't forget.

Hotch led the team to the waiting SUV's and everyone climbed in. It was a short drive back to the office and Emily said goodnight in the parking lot. "I'm just going to head straight home ok? I'll see everyone tomorrow," she said quietly. Hotch turned back, waiting until the others were gone before he spoke.

"Emily, why don't you take tomorrow off and come back in on Monday?" he suggested. Emily huffed and shook her head, mumbling something under her breath that Hotch couldn't quite make out. Hotch cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. "What was that?" he asked. Emily blushed and shook her head. "Nothing sir," she replied, gritting her teeth. Hotch frowned. "Ok. Well, at least think about it. You need the rest Prentiss," he said quietly, before turning to head to the elevator. "So do you sir," Emily muttered. This time, Hotch heard. And rather than pretending that he hadn't, he turned back to face her and raised his eyebrows once more.

"Excuse me?" he asked in a superior tone. Emily rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Do you think I'm stupid Hotch? Do you think we're _all _stupid? We can all tell that you're exhausted. You're trying to be a full-time dad AND a full-time agent and it's wearing you thin," she said. She'd finally had enough of keeping that to herself and now was the moment she could actually say it out loud. Now, when she could at least call in sick the next day and have a long weekend, not seeing Hotch for a few days. Not to mention blaming her loose tongue on the flimsy and probably pointless "painkillers" the discharge nurse had given her.

Hotch couldn't believe his ears. Emily Prentiss: Workaholic. The same woman who was beaten up by a cult-leader and still arrived back in DC the following morning and pulled a fourteen hour day. The same woman who insisted on working a case in which her closest childhood friend was brutally murdered. And the very same woman who had returned to work the day after her beloved grandfather's funeral. Hotch huffed. Damn hypocrite.

"Agent Prentiss, my well-being is not the point here. You were involved in a collision with a truck less than 24 hours ago and you sustained a concussion. You then underwent a cognitive interview during which your mind and body suffered further trauma. You watched an officer get murdered in front of you. And you've barely slept in four days. I was trying to give you the option but I see that now I'm going to have to make it an order. I don't want to see you in the office for the next three days. Take tomorrow off and I will see you bright and early, Monday morning," Hotch said gruffly, before turning to head to the elevator.

Emily frowned and huffed, shaking her head. What the hell? The man was infuriating! She turned on her heel and stomped to her car, violently throwing her belongings into the back seat of the car before slamming the door shut. She climbed into the driver's seat and groaned. She wasn't really up for driving but there was no way she was going back into the office and risking another reunion with Hotch. Emily pulled the bottle of codeine from her purse and popped two pills before turning the key in the ignition and pulling out of the carpark.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Emily pulled into her parking spot. She grabbed her bags from the backseat and started her journey upstairs to her apartment. The sight that befell her was one she wasn't expecting. Emily made her way down the hall from the elevator and squatted on the floor in front of her apartment door.

"Beth. Beth, honey. Wake up," she said quietly, trying to wake her cousin. Beth opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, her eyes adjusting to the light. "Em?" she said quietly. Emily smiled and stood up straight. She held out her hand and helped Beth to her feet. The two women hugged and, when Emily winced, they pulled back.

"God. What the hell happened?" Beth asked, rubbing her hands over Emily's arms. Emily shrugged. "Work incident. It's no big deal," she said succinctly. Beth frowned but decided not to push it anymore. Emily nodded towards the door. "How about we go inside and order some Chinese," she suggested. Beth nodded and smiled, picking up her bags from the floor.

Emily threw her ready bag on the floor outside the laundry, her purse on the desk in her study, and her keys and cell on the kitchen counter. She took Beth's duffel and placed it on the small chair under the staircase. Then she turned to the lounge and grabbed the phone. "The usual?" she asked. Beth smiled and nodded. After Emily had placed the order, the two women stood in the kitchen while Emily made them each a drink.

"So, who first?" Beth asked. Emily smiled sadly and nodded to her cousin. "You first. I'm honestly fine," she lied. But, either her skills at lying had improved or Beth had decided to skim over it. Beth took a deep breath as they walked over to the lounge room. Over the decades, Emily's couch had been a veritable refuge for Beth whenever she needed it. When Emily had been studying at Yale, it was her couch that Beth crashed on when she'd had an argument with her parents and fled their New Jersey home. Even when Emily was living in Paris while their grandmother was ill, Beth visited when she found her home life was too difficult. In any case, Beth found herself, once again, more than grateful for the close relationship she had with her almost twin-cousin.

"He left," Beth started. Emily couldn't help her reaction when her eyebrows almost shot through her hairline. "We've been having problems for awhile now, but it's really just started to change recently. And Byrd's not really helping at all. He's misbehaving and driving me nuts. And I love him. He's my baby boy, but… I just don't know what to do anymore," she continued, the tears starting to well up in her eyes.

Emily moved over to sit next to her and put her arm around Beth's shoulder. "Huff's just… he's been drifting away. And I'm finding myself loathing him. And we tried couples therapy but it hasn't helped," she explained. Emily stayed silent, offering her support through a hug and offering another drink. When Beth declined, Emily sat back, rubbing Beth's back while she continued.

"He's staying in a hotel until he finds somewhere permanent, but I just needed to get away. I know I'm always coming and crashing whenever there's been a problem and if you need to, just kick me out," she said. Emily smiled and shook her head. "It's fine. I love having you here," she assured her cousin, "Though I would like it if we saw each other when there were good things happening too." Beth nodded and smiled. Emily pat her leg.

"Are you going to be alright if I run upstairs and have a shower?" Emily asked. Beth nodded again. "Absolutely. I'll get the food when it gets here if you're not back down," she replied. Emily smiled and pointed towards the kitchen. "There's a small bowl with loose change and a couple of twenties. Use it please," she begged, before climbing the stairs.

Emily shook her head as she walked into her bedroom. She was stunned, though she'd kept the bulk of her surprise a secret from Beth. Those two had a great life, or so Emily thought. They were always so in love. Huff had a great practice, except for the incident a couple of years ago. And though Emily knew that Huff's family was a little eccentric, he was reasonably normal. Byrd was a great kid, becoming a great man. And they had a wonderful life in California. Or so it seemed. Emily wondered if that old adage was true, that the view from the outside is always different to that from the inside. Or something like that. She shrugged as she undressed and climbed into the shower.

* * *

Beth was sitting on the couch, mindlessly flicking through the pages of one of Emily's books while Coltrane played over the stereo. She sat back on the couch and threw the book on the table, before gazing out the window. The view over DC was beautiful. Emily always picked places that had a great view. Her apartment in Chicago had been on the 47th floor of the complex and had a great view of the city; her apartment in San Francisco had access to the roof, where Emily had held fantastic parties. Beth smiled. She could always count on Emily when things weren't going well. She was a shoulder to cry on, a couch (or spare bed) to crash on, and another Prentiss with seemingly endless credit cards and penchant for beautifully unique boutiques. And as it was, things weren't going so great and Beth definitely needed this time with her cousin as a distraction.

Beth was broken from her thoughts when there was a knock at the door. She grabbed her purse from her bag. Emily was giving her a place to stay, paying for dinner was the least she could do. Beth was surprised when the face that greeted her wasn't that of Emily's usual delivery boy, but a tall, handsome, tired-looking man in a dark suit.

Hotch wasn't sure what to say. Well, starting from the beginning would probably be the best. So he cleared his throat. "Emily, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I know you were trying to be supportive and insist that the team worries about me as much as I do about you guys, and I know I didn't react in the most caring of ways, but I couldn't let you go to sleep tonight angry with me. Your opinion matters too much to me, you matter too much to me. Which is probably why I reacted the way I did. You could have _died _Emily. And I can't get that thought out of my head. Because you're more than just a team-mate… you're my friend," Hotch paused, wondering if he should say the part waiting on the tip of his tongue. He nodded and continued, "I love you," he said, spilling the words he'd wanted to say. He honestly valued Emily's friendship and hoped that their spat earlier tonight wouldn't ruin the relationship that had taken three years to develop.

Beth was stunned. She wasn't quite sure what to say. At first she wanted to thank this man for his words, but then remembered that they were actually meant for Emily. Beth smiled. Emily was lucky. She deserved someone in her life, who cared for her. And apparently, she had this gentleman. Beth cleared her throat and put one hand in her pocket and held the other one out in front of her. "I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Beth, Emily's cousin," she explained.

Hotch wrinkled his brow. Was this a joke? This was Emily. Granted she was wearing a red singlet with cherry details across the left side, which was something Hotch had never seen her in, but… wait, when did he start cataloguing her clothes? Hotch shook his head and held out his hand to shake. "Uh… I'm sorry, you look…" his voice trailed off and Emily's doppleganger smiled shyly. "We get that ALL the time," she assured him. Hotch smiled and nodded, before looking over Beth's shoulder into the apartment. "Uh, is Emily here? I really should say all of _that _to her," he said, embarrassed.

Beth smiled and nodded, stepping back in the doorway. "She's just upstairs having a shower. Why don't you come in and wait?" she asked. Hotch nodded and walked into the apartment, waiting for Beth to lead him down the hall. Though he'd been here a number of times before, he'd never been there when Emily had other guests. It was usually just for work issues, or the occasional movie night when Jack was spending time with Hayley's family. And it was always just Emily and himself, no-one else. Not that he was opposed to spending time with Emily around other people. They were friends and would probably be just as comfortable in a group as they were one-on-one. But the situation had never come up.

Hotch realized he'd been deep in thought for awhile when Beth cleared her throat. He looked up and saw her standing in the lounge. Hotch walked through and joined her, sitting in his usual seat on the couch against the wall. Hotch looked over at Beth, who was looking at him expectantly. "Uh, sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Aaron Hotchner," he said quietly. A look of understanding came over Beth's face.

"Uh… Hotch right?" she asked. Hotch nodded, smiling. "Yeah, Emily talks about you a lot," she said, "About the team, I mean. All of you," she elaborated, blushing in the process. "God, she's going to kill me," Beth said, covering her face in her hands. Hotch just shook his head and smiled. "It's fine. I talk about the others to my son too," he said, trying to alleviate Beth's embarrassment.

"I'm trying to remember… Jack is it?" Beth asked. Hotch raised his eyebrows and nodded. Beth shook her head, "Don't worry. I'm not a child-murderer or kidnapper. We're very close… kind of each other's sounding boards," Beth explained. Hotch nodded in understanding. "I have a son too," she offered. Hotch smiled. "How old?" he asked. Beth smiled. "Uh, he'll be sixteen soon. God… that makes me sound old," she said, placing her head in her hands. Hotch chuckled and shook his head. "Not at all," he assured her, "What's his name?" Hotch asked. "Uh, Byrd," she answered. "Unusual name," he said, smiling. Beth nodded. "Unusual kid," she added.

Emily had been starting down on the stairs when she heard Hotch and Beth's laughter. At first, she was confused, then annoyed that Hotch was even there. Then she heard them laugh again and she moved down the steps so she could see them. She smiled when she saw Hotch laugh again. It had been a long time since she'd seen him laugh so hard he was almost crying. It made her happy to see him like that. Emily stood again and made her way down the stairs.

Beth looked up when she heard Emily walking down the stairs. At first she thought she might be mad that she'd let Hotch in, but by the look on her cousin's face, Beth wasn't in trouble. She stood from the couch. "You two look like you're having fun," Emily said brightly. Beth put her arm on Emily's shoulder and tipped her head in Hotch's direction. "We've been regaling each other with parenting stories," Beth explained. Emily smiled and nodded. "Uh, I'm just going to head upstairs to my room and call Byrd. I told him I'd call as soon as I got to your place," she said. Before she moved to walk upstairs, Beth leant close to Emily. "You should ask him to stay for dinner," she whispered. Emily wrinkled her brow and shrugged. "We'll see," she replied. Beth nodded and started up the stairs.

Emily turned to Hotch. "Can I offer you a drink?" she asked, putting her hands in the pockets of her khakis. Hotch shook his head. "No thanks. I just wanted to come and tell you I was sorry for the way I behaved earlier," he replied. Though he knew there was more to what he'd wanted to say, he suddenly found that he'd lost the courage to say what was really on his mind. Instead, he opted for the abridged version. "I reacted badly to your concern and I'm sorry. And I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your friendship. You've helped me through a lot in the past six months and I can't imagine how dark it would've been without you there to help me," he said quietly, avoiding eye contact.

Emily smiled and nodded. "Hotch, I don't know how many times I have to tell you, but it's not a problem. You're a good friend and I wouldn't be able to stand by and watch you attempt to handle all of this on your own," she explained. Hotch smiled and closed the distance between them, offering her a hug. Usually she gave him a hug at the end of movie nights, but he never initiated them. So this was a big step. Emily smiled against his chest. "Thank you Emily," Hotch whispered against her hair. Emily pat his back, before stepping back and offering him a smile. "Not a problem jackass," she teased.

"I should get going. You probably want to catch up with your cousin and I have to get home to my son," Hotch said quietly, turning to head back to the front door. Emily nodded. "You sure you don't want to stay? You could find out all sorts of secrets about me from Beth," she joked. Hotch chuckled. "Maybe another night," he replied. Emily nodded and followed him down the hall. "I'll probably take tomorrow off Hotch. I'm moving around a little more but I've still got some sore ribs. So I think I'll just rest up and spend some time with Beth while she's here," Emily explained, standing in front of the door. Hotch nodded and smiled. "Good. I guess I'll see you Monday," he said. Emily nodded ."See you Monday." She watched him make his way down the hall, before turning back into the apartment.

Emily reached the bottom of the stairs and looked up the staircase to find Beth sitting at the top, grinning and shaking her head. "What is it Bethy?" she asked. Beth smiled and stood up, walking down to join Emily in the lounge room. "What he just said to you… SOO not the same as what he said to me when he thought I was you," she blurted out. Emily looked at her with a furrowed brow. "What are you talking about?" she asked. Beth explained what Hotch had said, including those three little words. Emily shook her head. "He didn't mean it like _I love you_," she said in a sweet tone. "He probably just meant it like "_Hey man, I love you. Now let's clink beers and watch the football game_," kind of way," she said, more to herself than to Beth. Beth smiled and rolled her eyes. Her cousin truly was the queen of denial. But she wasn't going to spoil the fun. So she'd just agree to disagree and rub it in Emily's face when she finally woke up to the truth.

Emily frowned and shook her head. She was sure that Hotch didn't mean "I love you" in the sense that he wanted to marry her and make lots of little BAU babies. It was definitely a friendship love. And, despite that little niggling in the back of Emily's mind that said a relationship with Hotch would be great, she truly did just see him as a friend. A very close friend, but a friend nonetheless.

Beth stood up when she heard another knock at the door and her stomach was relieved to find the delivery boy. She exchanged the food for the cash and joined Emily in the kitchen. They switched on a movie and sat back in silence, each of them contemplating the recent events in their lives while Hugh Grant cursed his alarm clock.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm sorry again about the uber-length of the chapters. It appears my muse is running wild with them. Hope you enjoy. Please read and review.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Criminal Minds or Huff. Just having some fun.

* * *

Beth had gotten up early Friday morning. She couldn't sleep. Huff's face kept waking her up. Her mind still couldn't process the fact that she had told him she wasn't ready yet. She was starting to think that maybe there was something wrong with her. It was at that point she pulled off the covers and walked downstairs. She was quiet so as not to wake Emily up, but she realized when she got downstairs that was a pointless consideration.

Emily looked up from her newspaper and smiled. "Hey sweetie. How'd you sleep?" she asked. Beth smiled and nodded. "Really well, that bed is so comfortable," she replied. Emily frowned and Beth knew she'd been caught out. She should know, never lie to a profiler. Hell, even before Emily had joined the BAU you couldn't lie to her. She could always tell. It was her skill.

Beth shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose I didn't sleep well, but I'm honestly feeling better than I was yesterday," she assured her cousin. Emily smiled and nodded. "Ok. Well, I've got a few ideas for today if you're up for it?" she offered. Beth nodded eagerly and poured herself a cup of coffee.

"I was thinking we could hit Georgetown and check out some shops, grab lunch in the city, then come home and get ready for drinks at Auld's with the team," she suggested. Beth nodded again, happy that Emily's plans were exactly what the both of them needed. Emily needed to relax and to see her friends, and Beth needed distractions. Byrd was holed up in his room for the week, studying for finals. Izzy and her friends were headed to Las Vegas for their annual "gaming" trip. And Huff was working and living in a hotel. So this was perfect for keeping her mind off her own problems.

The two women ate breakfast in peace, before heading upstairs to shower. They met back downstairs twenty minutes later, both dressed casually, for a relaxing day of shopping and chatting.

* * *

Emily and Beth were rifling through the sales rack at Box Vintage when Beth's cell rang… for the fourth time that hour. And once again, Beth hit cancel and put her cell back in her pocket. Emily frowned. Initially she wasn't going to push her cousin. But four times in an hour, that was excessive, even for a Beth/Huff fight.

"You gonna keep doing that?" she asked quietly. Beth sighed and pulled a light pink cardigan from the rack. "Probably," she replied. Emily nodded and bit her lip. She turned to face Beth and pulled on as supportive a face as she could muster. "Sweetheart, I really think you should answer it. He could have something to say," Emily said. Beth shook her head. "I don't know if I care right now," she shrugged. Emily frowned and Beth smiled sadly. "Too much has happened to make it as simple as a conversation over the phone," she explained.

When it looked like Emily wasn't giving up, Beth took a deep breath and led her outside. She turned and started them walking down the footpath. "Russell let it slip that Huff…" her voice trailed off and she stopped suddenly. Emily frowned and squeezed her shoulders. "Honey, what is it?" Emily asked, though she was already fairly sure of what her cousin was about to tell her. Beth took another breath and looked up at Emily. "He slept with someone. I mean… Russell was wasted so he wasn't exactly cooperative with giving me the details, but he did tell me that much," she explained.

Even though she'd already considered this possibility, hearing Beth say it aloud boiled Emily's blood. Emily had heard stories about Russell, Huff's womanizing, alcoholic, drug-dependent, skeeze-ball, best friend. But she also knew that he was honest, almost to a fault. But Huff loved Beth. Didn't he? So how could he go and do something like this? Then Emily thought about it further and was a little disturbed at where her thoughts led her. She shrugged them off and turned to Beth, trying to think of something supportive to say.

Emily shook her head. "I don't…" she mumbled. Beth chuckled sadly and nodded. "I know. Neither do I," she said, turning to continue walking down the street. Emily followed but stayed silent. "He'd just moved out and… But… is it bad that I don't hate him? That I feel like it's not _that _bad? I mean, what does that say about the state of our marriage?" she pondered aloud. Emily shook her head. She and Beth had always had a similar take on things so it didn't surprise her to hear that.

"I suppose, part of you may be trying to salvage some control over the situation. And thinking that it's ok is enough of a surprise to everyone else, that you'd be in control. Part of you may be thinking what I assume he was, that you were separated so it makes it ok," Emily mused. Beth nodded in understanding. "I guess it's a little of both. And…" she smiled sadly, "At least he waited until he'd moved out." Emily rubbed her cousin's shoulder and nodded.

* * *

"So Beth, tell us some embarrassing Emily stories," Morgan asked, laughing at the horrified look on Emily's face. Beth chuckled and nodded, thinking about the stockpiles of stories she could throw out there. Emily raised her eyebrows at Beth and she shook her head. Hotch was all ears, excited to get a glimpse into the seemingly secret life of Emily Prentiss.

"Alright. Uh… when I'd just had Byrd, what now… 16 years ago… God. Uh, Emily came to California to help out a bit. She was just through her first semester of post-grad at Georgetown so she had a couple of weeks break. She was adamant that she could change his diaper without my help. Now, don't get me wrong, my little cousin is the smartest person I know, but I don't think any amount of brains could've prepared her for this," Beth said, the hilarity of the situation causing her to laugh. Emily groaned again and took a sip of her beer.

"I was in the kitchen, making lunch, when I hear this blood-curdling scream. I raced upstairs and found Emily standing in front of the change-table, cringing, her t-shirt covered in pee. When she'd finished putting Byrd's new diaper on, she handed him to me and ran to the bathroom. I followed her and she's in the bathroom scrubbing her mouth with toothpaste and mouthwash. The kid had peed in her mouth," Beth finished, the punch-line of the joke resulting in the rest of the table erupting in laughter.

"He peed in your mouth?" Reid asked, shock written on his face. Emily blushed and nodded. "That's… disgusting," he said, shaking his head. Emily threw her hands in the air, "That thing is like a freakin fire hose. It's not like he was aiming. It just… happened," she cried out. Beth pat her cousin's shoulder. Hotch leant over, "If it makes you feel any better, it happened more than once to me too," he whispered. Emily smiled and pat his arm. "Thanks," she whispered back.

Beth looked up when her cell began to ring again and she looked at the caller ID. She pat Emily's arm. "It's Daddy. I'll be back in a second," she explained. Emily nodded and smiled. "Say hi to them for me," she replied. She watched Beth walk out the door, a concerned look on her face.

"Everything alright?" Hotch asked. The others had all dispersed into their sub-groups. Will and JJ, and Garcia and Kevin were on the floor, dancing. Reid was at the bar, talking to Rossi. And Morgan was talking to a table of beautiful women. Hotch noticed Emily watching the door for Beth. Emily nodded and smiled. "I'm fine. I'm just tired I guess," she replied. Hotch nodded and glanced around the bar at their friends. "Beth seems to have lightened your mood," he commented. Emily smiled and nodded. "She has. She's my best friend," Emily explained. Hotch nodded. "Well, it's good. You need to cheer up," he said.

Emily huffed. "Uh, do you really wanna go down this road again?" she asked, looking at him sideways. Hotch chuckled and shook his head. "It was merely an observation Emily, not a free pass to make any inferences about my need to see the lighter things in life," he teased. His mind went to the night before, to the things that he'd wanted to say to Emily, and the things he'd ACTUALLY said. He shook his head. Maybe he'd get another chance but for now, he squeezed Emily's shoulder, for now Emily just needed a friend.

Beth returned to the table and sat back down. "Everyone ok?" Emily asked. Beth nodded. "Patty had called Dad freaking out about Mom's birthday," she explained. Emily nodded and smiled. "How is everyone? Uncle Jim still playing golf every other day?" she joked. Beth chuckled and nodded. "Yep. And Patty's still judging him for it," she teased. Emily laughed. Patty was the "hippy" kid, the one who believed that golf clubs should be boycotted because of the chemicals used on the grass, and that alternative medicine was the way of the future. Emily still loved her cousin, but she definitely had a different relationship with each of the two sisters.

Emily turned to Hotch and explained what Patty was like, Beth adding nods and raised eyebrows for extra effect. Hotch chuckled at the boycotting joke and Emily looked at Beth. "What?" he asked. "It's not just a joke. Sophomore year in college AND three days after she gave birth to her youngest, she was in protest rallies outside the Lakewood and Princeton Golf Clubs," Beth explained. Hotch burst out laughing and shook his head. "Who knew Emily Prentiss was related to such a felon?" he teased.

Beth chuckled, "That's nothing compared to some of the stuff _we _used to get up to. Oh…" she sighed, a faraway look in her eyes. She turned to Emily and pat her arm, "Do you remember that summer in Rouen?" Beth mused. Emily nodded and sighed, sitting back in her chair. "All we needed to have a good time was an old Indian man wearing a swimsuit and smoking a pipe," she laughed. The two women looked over at Hotch, and burst out laughing at his befuddled expression. Beth stood up, excusing herself to go to the bathroom. "I'll let you explain that one to him," she said, nodding towards Hotch. Emily laughed and nodded, watching Beth walk away.

She turned back when Hotch cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. "An Indian man wearing a swimsuit and smoking a pipe?" he asked. Emily chuckled. "Uh… I'm not sure I want to tell you this one. You are my boss after all," she joked. Hotch shook his head. "Not tonight. Tonight, I'm just your friend Aaron. And Aaron would definitely like to hear this one," he replied. Emily rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. But as a "friend," it's your duty to keep this one a secret. I mean, no-one. You tell NO-ONE, deal?" she asked. Hotch nodded and held out his hand. Emily shook it and smiled nervously.

"Our grandfather lived in France when we were younger, right up until he died a few years ago. I was doing a gap year in Paris at the time, between high school and Yale, and Beth came to visit. We went for a drive one week, out to Rouen where Pappy lived, and it was a Friday night. We were two young girls out to have a good time. Mind you this was the late eighties, in regional France. So the local bar was the best we could do," Emily started. She took a deep breath and continued.

"We met a couple of guys and kind of hit it off. But Beth was dating Huff at the time so she wasn't really up for continuing the good time save for a couple of dances and a game of pool. The guys offered us a ride home and we agreed. We were just grateful for a ride back to Pappy's. But apparently they were a little cut that we weren't intending on continuing the party. They left us stranded on the side of the highway about halfway to Pappy's." Hotch looked horrified. Beth returned to the table and noticed his face, before turning to Emily. "Did you get to the good part yet?" she asked. Emily shook her head. "Nope. I got to the part where the guys have driven off," she explained. Beth nodded. Now the face made sense. She sat down again and waited for Emily to continue.

"So we're just walking along the highway, hoping to catch a break, when we hear the sound of horse's hooves on the bitumen. We turn and here is this old man, steering a horse and buggy. He was Indian, wearing denim overalls and a white singlet, smoking a pipe," Emily explained. Hotch wrinkled his brow. "He offered us a ride to Pappy's, saying that he would welcome the company. We were chatting as we rode up the hill and Beth was a little drunk and blabbering about how cute our "little saviour" was, when he pipes up and, with the most disgusting eyebrow waggle, says "_You should see me in a swimsuit_," Emily and Beth mimicked in unison.

Hotch winced at the image, while the two women burst out in laughter. "Oh, that thought kept me awake for about a week," Emily exclaimed, shaking her shoulders. Beth pointed at Emily, shaking her finger. "And you lied, Agent Prentiss. _YOU _were the one who called Raj "cute." Emily's jaw dropped and she was about to defend herself, but conceded, her shoulders sagging in defeat. Hotch chuckled and pat Emily's shoulder. She sat up straight again and raised her hand. "Ok, fine. I admit it, it was me. But I personally blame the alcohol. Those French guys mix a mean martini," she argued.

* * *

Hotch was at the bar with Rossi, getting the next round of drinks, and Emily was outside checking a message that had rung through earlier. Beth leant over to Morgan and tapped his arm. When he turned, Beth cleared her throat.

"So what's going on between Hotch and Em?" she asked. Morgan wrinkled his brow and glanced over at the bar, then back at Beth. He shook his head. "Nothing. At least not that I'm aware of. Why?" he asked. Beth shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure it's nothing. He just popped over to Em's last night to apologise for a fight they'd gotten into at work," she explained. Morgan's brow wrinkled further. "A fight? They didn't have a fight. In fact, they were perfectly fine yesterday. Even after Emily got herself discharged from the hospital early," he explained. Beth nodded and smiled. "That's Emily Prentiss," she muttered. Morgan smiled and nodded. "If it helps answer your question, they have been spending time together outside of work for the past six months or so. Since Hotch was injured. And in that time they've both gone through a lot so… I guess they're a lot closer than they used to be, even closer in private than what they show when they're at work. But I honestly don't think there's anything _romantic_ going on," he explained. Beth nodded and smiled. "Thanks Derek," she said. Morgan nodded and turned back to ask Garcia if she wanted to dance.

Emily dropped into her seat and Beth looked over. "Everything alright sweetie?" she asked. Emily forced a smile and nodded. "Fine," she replied, glancing around the bar and finding Hotch at the bar. "What's going on Em?" Beth asked, raising her brow. Emily rolled her eyes. "Just gotta set up a doctor's appointment. _Not _looking forward to it," she explained. Beth nodded and turned back to her conversation with JJ.

Emily sat back and sighed, when Hotch returned to the table with the drinks. He frowned when he saw Emily's expression. "Everything ok?" he asked, leaning close to whisper. Emily bit her lip and nodded towards the dancefloor. "Do you want to dance?" she asked. Hotch paused, before nodding. He stood from his seat and held out his hand, which Emily took, and led her to the dancefloor.

When they reached the floor, Hotch turned and placed a hand on Emily's waist, pulling her close. "So what's going on?" he whispered. Emily bit her lip, running her hand over the shoulder of Hotch's dress shirt. "Huff just called me," she said quickly. Hotch frowned. "Beth's husband?" he asked. Emily nodded. "He knows she always comes to visit when things go to shit. He went to their place and realized she'd gone. He asked me if I'd seen her," she explained.

Hotch raised his eyebrow. "And what'd you say?" he asked. Emily shook her head. "I said I hadn't heard from her. I had no idea what to say," she explained, tears welling in her eyes. "I shouldn't have lied, I know that…" she said, her voice trailing off. Hotch shook his head. "Hey, it's not your fault. You have a responsibility to your cousin. If you felt like she'd want you to say no, then you have nothing to apologise for," he assured her.

Emily nodded and looked up. "But then I lied to _her_. When I came back in, she asked me what was wrong and I made up a lie about a doctor's appointment," she explained. Hotch smiled. "Well, maybe you can call up your doctor and then you won't be lying," he suggested, hoping to cheer her up. Emily chuckled and nodded. "Thanks Hotch," she muttered quietly.

He shrugged. "That's me. Prince Aaron," he joked. Emily smiled. "Well… I wouldn't go as far as _prince_," she teased, "Humble man-servant maybe." Hotch huffed and stood up straight. Emily chuckled and pat his cheek. "I'm kidding. You're a good friend Hotch. And I appreciate the help," she said quietly. Hotch smiled ad nodded. "It's the least I can do," he replied. They were silent for a moment before Emily tipped her head towards the table. "I guess you wanna get back to the table huh?" she asked. Hotch shook his head and tightened his grasp on Emily's waist. "We can at least stay until the end of the song," he replied, "Or do I smell?" Emily chuckled and shook her head. "Not at all. You smell fantastic. And the end of the song sounds perfect," she replied. Hotch smiled and pulled her close.

Beth looked up from her conversation with JJ and found Emily's seat empty. She looked around the bar and was surprised to find Hotch and Emily on the dancefloor. She smiled when she saw Emily laugh. Beth was glad there was someone in Em's life that could make her laugh like that. It'd been a long time since she'd seen that smile. Hotch said something and Emily shook her head and pat his cheek. Huh. That was… playful. Maybe they weren't _involved_, but there was definitely something more than just workmates. Beth shrugged. Whatever it was, she was glad.

The song ended and Emily thanked Hotch for the talk... and the dance. When they returned to the table, Beth looked up at Emily and she nodded. "Well guys, I have some great painkillers and a glass of water waiting for me at home so..." Emily said to the table. The others nodded and said goodnight to Emily and Beth. "See you Monday yeah?" Morgan asked. Emily looked at Hotch and nodded. "Absolutely. I have an appointment in the morning, but I should be in just after the briefing," she explained. The others nodded and the girls turned to walk out.

"So did you have fun tonight?" Emily asked. Beth smiled and nodded. "I did," she replied. "Thanks Emily. For tonight. It was just what I needed," she added, squeezing Emily's hand. Emily smiled and wrapped her arm around Beth's shoulder. "Anytime cuz. For you, anytime," she replied.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter picks up on the Tuesday after the night at the bar. Emily has returned to work so Beth is doing her own thing during the day. Please read and review.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Criminal Minds.

* * *

Beth thanked the butcher for the meat and headed back into the main hall of the mall. She looked in her trolley and was surprised. She'd picked up almost everything for dinner that night. All that was left was the wine.

That Tuesday, after Emily had returned from work, Beth had asked if it was alright to invite the team around for dinner. In all honesty, she had just wanted to invite Hotch around and see how he and her cousin interacted in her home. But she couldn't say that, so she'd asked if the whole team could come around. Emily had agreed and Beth had excitedly run from the apartment, saying she'd be back soon. So here she was, an hour and a half later, $70 poorer so far, but definitely happy.

Emily was sitting on her lounge, enjoying a few quiet moments to herself. Beth had gone to the store to stock up on groceries. She'd had a great time with the team the Saturday night before, and had asked Emily if they could have them around for dinner. Of course, Emily had agreed.

Though they spent up to sixty hours a week together, living together and eating together on a regular basis, the team all loved spending even more time together. And usually on the weeknights, Hotch wasn't keen to hang out, opting to spend as much time with Jack as possible. But the four-year old was spending some much-needed time with his grandmother. So even Hotch had agreed to dinner.

Emily smiled. She and Hotch had been growing closer in the past few months and she could safely say he was her closest friend, behind Beth of course. Emily was glad the two of them were getting along. Actually, as far as Saturday night went, Beth had hit it off with the whole team, even Reid. Emily huffed. Probably because he reminded her of Byrd. That kid was smart. Perhaps not on the same level as Reid, because really, who was on that level? But Byrd was definitely smart in his own way. He was one of those intuitive people. Great instincts. Emily wrinkled her brow. Maybe she could fly to California during the summer for a visit. She definitely had enough time saved up, and could do with a real holiday. She nodded. She'd bring it up with Beth as soon as she got home.

And, even if she hadn't hit it off with the guys on the team, the couple of coffees that Beth had joined the BAU ladies for had definitely cemented her in their little makeshift family and gossip circle. So Emily was certain that she wouldn't have to play gracious hostess, making sure that Beth wasn't bored and sitting by herself all night. She would have people to talk to. Emily nodded and turned back to her book.

* * *

The girls sang along to the Violent Femmes blasting from the dock in the kitchen. Emily was standing at the sink, washing the potatoes, while Beth stirred the sauce on the cooktop. Their dancing was interrupted at a knock at the door. Emily turned the tap off and reached for a dish towel, drying her hands while she walked to the door.

She opened the door and grinned. "Dave!" she cried out, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. "Emily!" he mimicked. "Sounds like you've started the party already," he teased. Emily rolled her eyes and stepped back so Dave and Morgan could walk in. "Just a glass of wine while we've been cooking," she retorted. She gave Morgan a hug also, before leading them down the hall towards the kitchen. They greeted Beth and she looked up and smiled. "Smells delicious," Morgan commented. Beth smiled. "Thank you. It's an old family recipe," she replied.

Everyone else arrived shortly after, the punctuality of the BAU members a simple reminder of what made them so successful. Hotch was the last one to arrive. Emily opened the door and greeted him with a smile and a hug. "What a greeting Agent Prentiss," he teased.

Emily rolled her eyes, poking her finger in his face. "I'm never giving any of you BAU boys a hug ever again," she huffed. Hotch wrinkled his brow and smirked, but shook off the confusion. He held out the bottle of wine as a peace offering and Emily immediately smiled once more. "Fine. You're forgiven. You're too cute to be mad at anyway," she mumbled. Hotch grinned and nodded. "I like to think so," he joked. Emily rolled her eyes once more and turned to close the door.

Everyone served up their food and made their way to the beautifully decorated dining table. They sat in their assigned seats, set out by Beth. She really just wanted to play matchmaker and keen observer, so she'd made sure to seat herself in an eagle-eye position to the two close seats she'd assigned to Emily and Hotch. From her spot Beth could see Hotch and Emily, and hear anything they said to each other, while still situating her near JJ and Reid. She had hit if off with JJ on Saturday night, and found her to be an honest person and a great conversationalist. With Reid, she'd enjoyed just listening to him talk. He was incredibly excitable and reminded her of a combination of Teddy and Byrd. And she wanted to feel close to them, even though she was thousands of miles away. So Reid was the next best thing.

They all took their seats and started on the food. Immediately, Beth was overwhelmed with compliments. Apparently her stuffed pork medallions and baby vegetables in garlic and walnut sauce was a hit. Emily smiled at her cousin and nodded, before turning back to her conversation with Hotch and Rossi.

Emily chuckled as Hotch talked excitedly about the plans he'd made for Jack and himself. She reached over and gently wiped the sauce that had dripped onto his dress shirt. He smiled at her and continued explaining, to Rossi, the great campsite he'd found right near Lake Marion in South Carolina.

Hotch had planned an entire week of camping and fishing and basically spending time with his son. Emily listened in, catching the exact dates for this planned trip. They coincided with the dates she and Beth had been discussing for her trip to California. Emily wrinkled her brow, hoping that wouldn't be a problem. She shrugged. If all else failed she could just go a week later.

Hotch watched Emily while he was talking. She was chuckling at the beginning of his story, as he'd explained the horrors of internet research when you're not particularly tech-savvy. But her expression had changed through the course of the conversation. Her brow wrinkled and her eyes became distant, as though she was lost in thought. She still nodded in the appropriate places but her eyes were vacant. Hotch frowned and paused mid-sentence, blinking once before continuing.

Maybe he should've checked these dates with her. But it's not like they were dating. They were just friends. Granted she was his best friend and he was starting to think he wanted something more, but even still… did best friends check with each other before going out of town for a week? Hotch couldn't remember the last time he'd had a _good _friend, besides the team, let alone a _best _friend. He shrugged. He'd bring it up with her later.

* * *

Most of the guests had left, just Rossi, Hotch, Emily and Beth were left. Dave cleared his throat. "It's getting late and these old bones are going to collapse if I don't get them some rest," he joked, standing from the couch. The others stood and Beth leant over to kiss his cheek. "Hopefully I'll see everyone again before I go home but if I don't, it was lovely meeting you Dave," she said quietly. Dave pat her shoulder and smiled. "It was great to meet you too Beth. Hope to see you again," he said. Dave shook hands with Hotch before Emily followed him to the front door. They said goodnight quickly and Dave turned to walk down the hall.

Emily walked into the kitchen and found Beth and Hotch getting started on the dishes. She smiled and joined them, grabbing a dish towel and wiping them up. "So Beth, have you got plans for the rest of the week?" Hotch asked. Beth shook her head and looked at Emily. "Not really. Spend some time with my little cousin. Maybe take a couple of days and visit my parents in New Jersey," she explained.

They continued the work in silence, before _99 Luftballons _came on over the dock. Emily chuckled and looked over at Beth, the two women quietly singing along to the song. Hotch stole a glance at Emily and smiled. She was about to urge him to sing along when there was a knock at the door. "Probably Rossi forgetting his wallet or something," Hotch joked. Emily put her dish towel on the bench and made her way down the hall. When she opened the door, she gasped. It wasn't Rossi.

* * *

A/N: I'm not usually one for cliff-hangers but I thought it couldn't hurt. Plus I'm too tired to be bothered writing anything more tonight. So I'll pick it up again tomorrow. Please read and review. I usually want to hear what others think about my writing. And this is especially true for this story. It's a bit of a gamble and I really want to know what people's thoughts are.


	4. Chapter 4

"Byrd? What are you doing here?" Emily asked, surprised by the presence of her cousin's son at her door. Byrd rolled his eyes, hiking his bag up on his shoulder. "I'm here to see Mom," he replied, "I'm assuming she's here." Emily folded her arms, refusing to let him in until he gave her more information. "Does your Dad know you're here?" she asked.

Byrd rolled his eyes and shook his head simultaneously. "No. Dad doesn't care what I do. He's too busy with his own crap," he answered bitterly, "And before you ask, my finals are finished. I handed in my last paper before I went to the airport," he explained. Emily nodded and reached out to give him a hug. "Come on in. I'm sure your Mom will be glad to see you," she said.

Emily walked down the hall, her arm around Byrd's shoulder. "Did Mom cook her stuffed pork?" Byrd asked, the smell of dinner lingering in the air. Emily nodded and smiled. "There's some leftovers if you want some," she whispered. Byrd smiled and nodded. They reached the doorway of the kitchen and Beth looked up from the cupboard where she was putting the glasses away.

"Byrd. What the hell are you doing here?" she asked. Byrd shook his head. "I'm here on vacation. And you?" he retorted. Beth rolled her eyes and looked at Emily apologetically. Emily smiled sadly and nodded towards the hallway. "Hey Hotch, do you wanna go for a walk? It's still early," she suggested. Hotch put the dish towel down on the bench and nodded. "Sure," he replied, glancing back and forth between Emily and the young teen next to her. Emily squeezed Byrd's shoulder and smiled at Beth. Beth nodded and mouthed "thank you" to her cousin, watching Emily and Hotch disappear around the corner.

When she heard the door close, Beth tipped her head towards the fridge. "Have you eaten? Do you want me to heat up some dinner?" she asked. Byrd nodded. "Sure," he replied. Byrd tossed his bag on the floor at the foot of the stairs, and watched as his Mom pulled a plate out of the fridge and pulled off the cling-wrap. She placed it in the microwave and set the timer, leaning against the counter while they waited. They stood in silence, the whirring of the machine filling the air. Beth could swear she could hear both of their hearts beating loudly. They both breathed silent sighs of relief when the timer beeped. Beth pulled the food out of the microwave, grabbed a set of cutlery from the drawer, and nodded towards the lounge room.

They sat down on the couches, Beth turning to face her son while they talked. "So what's going on?" she asked. Byrd swallowed the first bite of pork, the warm juices and meats inching their way down his throat. He coughed and swallowed. "I wanted to come and ask you to please come home," he said honestly. Beth wrinkled her brow. "I _am _coming home," she replied. Byrd rolled his eyes. "When Mom?" he asked. Beth shrugged her shoulders and folded her arms across her chest. "When I'm ready kiddo," she answered, reaching over to brush her fingers through his hair.

"I know this hasn't been easy on you but… I need some time. I need to figure out what I want," she explained. Byrd looked up and blinked twice. "You're not sure if that's Dad?" he asked. Beth shook her head. "I don't know honey. A lot has happened. A lot that you don't know about. And… I don't know if it's enough," she explained as simply as possible.

Byrd nodded before Beth continued. "But you don't need to worry. With the exception of this week, when I've been trying to figure things out, you are my number one priority. Wherever I go, you can come too," she explained, "If you want." Byrd nodded and took another bite of food, wondering whether or not to tell her about this particular thing. He nodded. She needed to know. It might not help her make the decision, but she deserved to know.

Byrd swallowed his bite of vegetables and took a deep breath. "While you've been gone, Dad's been staying at home," he explained. Beth smiled tightly and nodded. "That's good," she replied. Byrd raised his eyebrows. "Good? You think that's good?" he asked, incredulous. Beth nodded and smiled. "It's his house too honey. And I'm glad he's been there with you. As much as I love your grand-mother, she's not the most responsible person," she explained.

Byrd nodded and smiled. "Yeah… well it's been weird," he added, "He's been trying to get me to "hang out." I think he misses Russell," Byrd explained. Beth huffed. "Or maybe he just wants to spend time with his son," she replied. At Byrd's raised eyebrows, Beth smiled. "Sweetie, you know he loves you. And this time has done him good. Clearly," she said. Byrd nodded. "I know. And maybe when we get home we can all spend some time together. But you need to come home Mom," he said. Beth nodded and pulled Byrd against her chest. "I will honey. I promise," she whispered.

* * *

Hotch followed Emily down the hall and to the elevator. They made their way down to the foyer and out onto the street. Emily took a deep breath and sighed as they walked slowly down the path. Hotch looked over at her and smiled. "So that's Byrd huh?" he asked. Emily smiled and nodded. "That's Byrd," she replied. Hotch looked down at the path and huffed. "He looks like…" he was cut off by Emily's. "Uh huh," she cut in. "Why didn't you say something?" he asked, thinking back to that particular case. Emily shrugged and put her hands in her pockets. "We had enough to deal with on that case. Remember. You didn't exactly appreciate my opinions," she replied.

Hotch huffed. "I appreciated your opinions. I just didn't appreciate the thought that you were trying to use your political connections to move ahead," he corrected. Emily nodded and grinned, looking at Hotch. "Sure," she sighed, patting his arm. She crossed her arms across her chest and shivered in the cool night. Hotch looked over and rolled his eyes. He reached up and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Emily smiled up at him. He was always so sweet.

They walked in silence for half a block, before Hotch recalled the conversation at dinner. "Is it ok that I'm going away?" he asked. Emily wrinkled her brow and smiled. "Of course it is Hotch. You deserve a whole year off," she teased. Hotch huffed. "I meant is it ok that I didn't tell you. I mean, we tell each other everything else," he explained.

Emily bit her lip. Once again… so sweet. "I guess so. It's not like I'm your girlfriend. We're just friends. Work will be weird without you but I'm sure we'll survive," she teased. Hotch nodded. "I know you're not my girlfriend. I'm fairly perceptive," he said, shooting her a sideways glance as they rounded the corner. "But you are…" he paused, wondering how much he should tell her. He shook his head. They'd always been honest with each other. No need to change that now.

Hotch stopped on the path and turned. Emily turned to face him, her brow wrinkled. Hotch reached up and rubbed her arms with his hands and smiled. "I'm not sure when this happened but… you're my closest friend Emily. Probably my best friend. And I guess that's why I felt like I should tell you about the trip," he explained. He looked up and met Emily's eyes, fearful of her reaction.

Emily was shocked. Not at the content of his revelation. That much she was aware of already. What shocked her was that he'd actually admitted it. She grinned and reached up, taking hold of his hands. "You're my best friend too Hotch. Really," she said, squeezing his digits. Hotch smiled. "And don't worry about your trip. I'm just happy you're taking it," she assured him.

Hotch was relieved to say the least. She hadn't laughed in his face or become uncomfortable. Instead, she'd reciprocated. Then Hotch remembered her expression at dinner. "Ok. I know that for next time," he said, "But at dinner, you seemed… upset… about something when I mentioned the dates." Emily nodded and smiled tightly.

"This afternoon Beth and I discussed my coming to visit her in California. And it's around the same time as your trip. I just wasn't sure if the Bureau would let both of us have the time off," she explained. Hotch nodded and smiled. "Well, because I'll be gone, it's likely the team will just handle in-office consults and paperwork catch-up," he explained, "So I'm sure you'll be able to get the time." Emily grinned and squeezed his hand as they turned to walk back to her apartment. "Great. I'll let Beth know when we get home," she said brightly.

* * *

A/N: I needed to tackle the "Byrd" being the same person as "Nathan Harris" thing so that's where the start of Emily and Hotch's conversation is.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I've received a lot of messages and reviews asking for an update on this story. I had to go back and review the show cause it's been awhile. So I hope this works ok. Please read and review.

I realized I hadn't really put together a family tree to explain where the family relationships exist. So just to explain: Emily's mum, Elizabeth (1948) and Beth's dad, Jim (1940) are sister and brother. And I'm maintaining the idea that they grew up in Alabama. I'm also sticking with the "What if I waited" family: Simon Prentiss divorced Elizabeth and married Natalie.

* * *

They'd been on the road for the past two days and everyone was exhausted. And given that she was desperate to get home to see her cousin while she was still around, Emily decided to call it an early night.

Emily gathered her things, packing them quickly into her purse and lifting it onto her shoulder. Saying a quick goodnight to the others she started out of the bullpen, turning to throw a wave to Hotch. He held up a hand, signaling for her to wait, ran out of his office and joined Emily on the other side of the glass doors.

"What can I do for you Hotch?" Emily asked brightly, noting the small smile on his face. As they stepped into the elevator and turned, Hotch placed a gentle hand on the small of Emily's back, "I processed both of our leave applications for summer and they've been approved by Strauss," he explained, "Though it did take a little time explaining why we _both _had the same dates for our vacation."

Emily grinned and reached up to hug him, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she cried out, paying no attention to where they were… or who could be watching.

Hotch stood there awkwardly, not really comfortable with ANYONE hugging him in the office… maybe Jack… but no one else. He put his hands on Emily's shoulders and gently guided her back to a more appropriate distance.

Emily chuckled, figuring she'd pushed it a bit too far, "Sorry," she smiled coyly, "I just know that Beth's going to love having someone normal in her house for a week."

Hotch raised his eyebrows and glanced at Emily, "Normal?" he teased. Emily's jaw dropped and she made her way through the open elevator door. "I'm going to ignore that remark," she huffed in reply, taking a deep breath (and wondering why she was so nervous), "So Byrd and Beth are at my place still… But I was wondering. Do you wanna come over for a movie tonight?"

Hotch opened his mouth to accept her offer, when Emily's cell buzzed. She reached into her pocket, holding up a finger to urge Hotch to wait. "Prentiss."

Hotch followed Emily across the grass, towards the staff parking lot, listening to the one side of the conversation.

"Uh… yes mother. You can tell him I suppose. Of course, if you don't want to have to clean up the mess of your older brother _murdering _his unfaithful son-in-law, you might want to keep the "why" part to yourself."

"No. I don't think that's necessary. She just needs a little time."

"Well you can tell him, but make sure he doesn't tell Huff. The last thing Beth wants right now is him showing up at my door when she's trying to get some space."

"Ok. Well give them my love and tell him I'll get her to call them."

"Fine. I'll bring it up over dinner. Goodbye mother."

Emily pulled her cell away and put it back in her pocket, offering Hotch an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry. I just can't ignore calls from her. If you ignore her even once, you'll hear about it for the next decade."

Hotch nodded in understanding and they continued towards her parking space, "That's fine. I have the same issue with my son," he joked.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, until Hotch gently touched Emily's arm, causing her to stop, "I'd better get back upstairs," he started, tipping his head in the direction of the building, "But in answer to your question, sure. I'd love to…" he paused and waited for Emily to realize what he was talking about, and when she smiled, he chuckled, "I'll bring the popcorn."

The two agents said goodbye, Emily watching from her car as Hotch made his way back across the lawn. She looked down and quickly looked back up, wrinkling her brow. _Did I just check out Hotch's ass? _she chided herself. Shaking her head, she bit her lip and turned the key in the ignition.

* * *

Emily reached up to open the front door to her building, groaning when she heard her cell ring again. She sighed a heavy breath of relief when she noticed that it was just a text… and it was from him. Her relief very quickly died when she read the text.

_Decided I could leave the rest of the reports for the morning. Be at yours in about 20. I have a wide selection of junk food. Not sure what the others like. See you soon. _

Emily raised her eyebrows, quickening her pace as she ran up the stairs. She quickly unlocked her front door, not even stopping to say hi to Beth and Byrd, before racing up the stairs to her room.

"Hotch is gonna be here soon. Just jumping in the shower!" she called out to her cousin, watching the 6 o'clock news. Beth looked up the stairs after Emily, chuckling as she turned back to the TV.

After the story about the deadly ants was finished, Beth stood from the couch and dropped the remote next to Byrd, before starting towards the kitchen.

"Hey kid… you wanna come and help me start on dinner?" Byrd nodded and switched the television off, hitting play on the iPod dock. He made his way to the kitchen, rolling his eyes at Emily's taste in music.

"Really? Vanilla Ice?"

Beth turned and smiled at her son, passing him the ingredients for the salad. "Really? Eagles of Death Metal?" she rebuked. Byrd huffed and turned back to washing the lettuce. "Besides," Beth added, "It was the era. Novelty white rappers were a necessity."

"What are you talking about? Novelty white rappers?" Emily smiled as she entered the kitchen, ruffling Byrd's hair. He pulled the cling wrap over the salad bowl and started tossing the vegetables, "I was just judging your appalling taste in music," he teased. Emily turned from the fridge and shook her finger at him, "Don't knock it till you try it young man," she remarked, walking to the dining table and placing the dressings in the middle.

Beth was setting the places at the table, and huffed, "Young man? Hate to say it, Em, but you're really starting to sound like your mother." Emily's jaw dropped and she started to rebuke when there was a knock at the door. Beth turned to look up at Byrd and tipped her head down the hall, "Wanna go answer that?"

As he opened the door, Byrd turned back hearing Emily's voice, "And if it's the woman from downstairs, tell her to buy noise-cancelling headphones."

Hotch raised his eyebrows and smiled curiously, hearing the tail end of Emily's remark. He held up the paper bag, filled with an assortment of junk food, "Uh, I'm Hotch." Byrd simply nodded and stepped back, allowing Hotch to enter the apartment. As the two men made their way down the hall, Byrd held out his hand, "Emily didn't introduce me the other night. I'm Byrd," he said politely. Hotch huffed and shook the teenager's hand. "Nice to meet you, Byrd."

* * *

Hotch passed the salad over to Beth, "So have you guys got anything planned for the weekend?" he asked, glancing around at the table. Emily shrugged and smiled at Beth, "Mother mentioned something about us all heading Jim and Maddie's," she explained. At Hotch's wrinkled brow, Emily elaborated, "Sorry, Beth's parents. My mother's brother…" She blushed and stopped herself from continuing.

Beth huffed, "Uh… yeah. Aunt Lizzie hasn't seen them in awhile and it might be nice to spend the weekend there." Hotch nodded and smiled. "So how about you, Hotch? Big plans?" Beth asked.

Hotch shrugged and swallowed his mouthful of lettuce, "Well… I'm going to pick Jack up from his grandma's house in Oaklyn. It'll be great to spend some time with him," he replied, smiling softly at the thought of his son's return. He was broken from his thoughts by Beth's voice.

"Oaklyn? We're going to Camden… you should come with us, and you and Jack can spend the weekend at my folks' too," Beth suggested. When she noticed Emily's raised eyebrows, Beth bit her lip, wondering if Byrd was still working on his time machine.

Hotch looked over at Emily, for her go-ahead. It wasn't that he felt he needed her permission, but he didn't want to butt in on family time. But when she nodded coyly, he smiled with surprise, and looked across to Beth, "That sounds good. So long as it's ok with your parents," he replied.

Beth shrugged her shoulders, "It'll be fine. They're used to having noisy family stay with them." Hotch chuckled and nodded, reaching under the table and squeezing Emily's hand. She squeezed back as Byrd directed the conversation to the Sting-Ray Corvette his grandpa was building from scratch.

* * *

"Well I think that's enough fun for me," Beth said, rising from the lounge as the credits rolled. She pat Byrd's knee and tipped her head towards the steps. He wrinkled his brow, before looking over at Emily and Hotch, chatting on the couch. He huffed and nodded, standing up and joining his mom at the bottom of the stairs.

"Guess we'll see you on Friday afternoon."

Hotch nodded and waved, "Have a good day tomorrow. Maybe you guys can meet us at the office and we'll give you a tour." Byrd's eyes lit up and he nodded, "Sounds awesome." With one last wave, Byrd and Beth disappeared upstairs.

Hotch sighed and pushed himself up from the couch, holding out his hands for Emily. She took them and smiled, following him down the hall. He grabbed his coat from the hall closet and turned, offering her a small smile.

"I'll see you in the morning Emily," he said softly, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. When he stepped back, Emily blushed and nodded. "I was thinking we could leave your car at the office, and we can take my SUV. That way there'll be plenty of room for everyone and their luggage."

Emily nodded again, opening the front door, "Sounds good. I'll let Beth know and they can have their gear packed before I leave tomorrow."

Hotch pulled Emily into a tight embrace and sighed.

"Thanks for coming over," Emily whispered into his chest.

Hotch huffed and pulled back, offering Emily a small smile, "Yeah… you owe me," he teased.

Emily rolled her eyes and swatted his shoulder, "I'll see you in the morning Agent Hotchner."

Hotch chuckled and nodded, making his way through the door, "See you in the morning Agent Prentiss."


	6. Chapter 6

"These are the only ones of which the news has come to Harvard! And there may be many others, but they haven't been discovered!"

Emily laughed loudly and reached forward to counter Byrd's hi-five. Hotch just shook his head and looking into the rear view mirror, offered Emily a beaming smile. She returned his smile and reached over the back of the driver's seat, squeezing his shoulder.

The car was silent for a moment as Tom Lehrer continued the show, turning to the next song, "Oedipus Rex."

Hotch couldn't help but laugh loudly as the lyrics pumped through the stereo. "Where on earth did you find this CD?" he cried out. Emily shrugged her shoulders and glanced over at Byrd, "Let's just say I know a guy." Hotch huffed and nodded, the car growing silent once more.

* * *

Hotch pulled up to the front of his former mother-in-law's home, turning to the others. "I'll just be back in a few minutes." Emily nodded and shifted across into the middle seat, making room for Jack, before looking through the window and watching Hotch at the door.

She felt a hand on her shoulder blades and turned to look at her cousin. "You ok hon?" Beth asked gently, ensuring that her son was occupied with the GPS, programming his grandparent's address.

Emily huffed and nodded, "I'm fine." Beth shot Emily an incredulous look. When she saw it, Emily sat up straight and tried to pull a sincere smile on her face, "Honestly… it's just been a long day. And I'm looking forward to a shower and some rest." Beth smiled sadly and rubbed Emily's shoulder again, "Well, we'll be there soon enough."

A few minutes later, Hotch opened the back door and helped Jack into his seat. When he saw Emily, the almost-five year old threw his arms around her neck, "Emly! Emly! What are you doing here?"

Emily couldn't help the beatific smile that grew on her face as she embraced the little boy, "Hey honey… I thought Daddy would've told you… We're going to my aunt and uncle's for the weekend." Jack pulled back from Emily, grinning, "Awesome!"

Hotch huffed and leant over his son, buckling him into his seat. He glanced up at Emily and smiled, before he closed the door and hurried to the driver's side. "GPS all geared up?" he asked his second-in-command. And with Byrd's confirmation, they were on their way again.

* * *

"Jim! Jim! They're here!" she called, pulling herself up from the porch swing. She put her book on the seat, face down, and slowly made her way down the steps to the driveway. She turned when she heard the door open, and waited for Jim to join her.

Byrd was the first one out of the car, forgetting his things so he could give his Nanna a hug. Madeleine wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. "Oh my dear sweet boy… You're so skinny! What is your mother feeding you?" she cried out, elated to see her beautiful family.

Beth was next, carrying her overnight case and purse. She dropped the larger bag on the ground, pulling her dad into a hug. "Hey there sweet-pea," he whispered.

Hotch carried his and Jack's overnight bags on one shoulder, carrying his son in his arms. He put his spare hand on Emily's shoulder and the three of them walked over to the others. "Uncle Jim… Auntie Maddie," she cried out, giving each of them a hug, "Thanks so much for having us."

When they stepped back, Emily gestured to the Hotchner men, "This is my friend Aaron, and his son Jack." Hotch held his hand out for Jim to shake, reiterating Emily's gratefulness for their hospitality. Madeleine waved her hand and pulled Hotch into a hug, a shocked look bursting onto his face, "It's not a problem at all… we've got four grand-children so we're more than accustomed to having little ones here." She nodded to Jack, asleep on his dad's shoulder, "Speaking of which, why don't we take your gear upstairs so you can put him down."

Emily ran her fingers through Jack's hair and nodded, following her family into the house.

* * *

"He down?" Emily asked, looking up from her book. Hotch smiled and made his way over to the couch, tapping her legs until she lifted them. When he sat down, he pulled her legs onto his and rubbed her calves.

"Where's everyone else?"

Emily lay the book on her lap and pointed behind her, "Beth's gone to lay down, Byrd's with Uncle Jim in the garage, and Aunt Maddie is getting a start on dinner… I was banished from the kitchen."

Hotch chuckled and reached down to remove Emily's shoes, rubbing her feet gently. He smiled when she groaned and he looked over to see her closing her eyes. "Oh… my… god." Hotch ran a hand up her leg, massaging the muscle as he went. When his hand reached the hem of the denim shorts, Emily chuckled and sat up, "Uh… Hotch…"

He looked up and quickly removed his hand from Emily's leg. "Sorry," he said, blushing. Emily smiled at his embarrassment, sitting up and keeping her legs on Hotch's lap. Leaning forward, she ran her fingers through his hair, gripped his chin gently, and guided him to look at her. "I didn't say you could stop."

Hotch wrinkled his brow, wondering if she was really saying what he thought she was saying or if he was just wishing she was saying what he thought she was saying but really saying nothing of the sort. He frowned even further when he tried to follow that train of thought, broken from his musings when he heard Madeleine's voice.

"Dinner's ready!"

Emily sighed and dog-eared the page she was reading, tossing the book on the coffee table. She rose from the lounge and held out her hands to Hotch. He took them and joined her, standing uncomfortably close. She looked up, into his eyes, and he could feel his heart stop beating. "We'll talk about this later." He nodded and swallowed hard, then turned to watch Emily exit the room.

* * *

Jim passed the potato bake over the table to his niece, smiling as she scooped some onto her friend's plate. "So tell me, Emily, how did you and Aaron meet?"

Emily bit her lip to stop from grinning and glanced over at her cousin. Beth shrugged her shoulders. "Uh… at work. Ho… _Aaron _is my unit chief," she replied.

Hotch tapped Emily's arm, shaking his head while he swallowed his bite, "You're forgetting the first time we met." Emily huffed and nodded, "Sorry Uncle Jim… we first met when Aaron was running security detail for Mother."

Jim nodded knowingly, shooting his wife an amused look.

The table grew silent, before Byrd became uncomfortable, "Is it alright if I leave the table?" he asked politely, "I need to go and check my email." Beth nodded and smiled sadly, watching her son walk away. When she turned back to the table, she was met by the concerned faces of her parents.

"So does Huff know where you two are?" Madeleine asked, eyeing her daughter over her glass of wine.

Beth looked pleadingly at Emily, who reached over and squeezed her hand. The former took a deep breath before answering her mom's question, "Uh… he doesn't know where we are. Just that I needed some time to myself," she replied. When her mother opened her mouth to ask the inevitable question about Byrd, she quickly jumped in, "And Byrd finished his finals and decided he too needed a change of scenery for the moment."

Both answers seemed to satisfy Jim and Madeleine, though it seemed Beth's mom was still concerned and would need to know more. Beth offered her a conciliatory smile, silently offering to share more later… when there weren't two sets of male ears listening. Those males who would do nothing short of castrating Huff before burying him alive in an ants nest.

The rest of the meal was finished with perfectly acceptable conversation, Hotch being asked every possible question. As the men started on the dishes, Emily dragged Beth and Madeleine into the den, closing the doors to ensure some privacy.

"I didn't want to tell you this in front of Daddy," Beth started, looking to her cousin for support. Emily sat next to her and reached for her hand, urging Beth to continue.

"You know we were having problems," Beth started, nodding to her mom. When Madeleine confirmed this, she continued, "Ok… I need to get all of this out. I need to tell you everything in one hit so I don't chicken out." She sighed and inhaled again, "He left. He packed his bags, went to Russell's and… I was a mess. And while he was gone, he fucked up…" She paused at her mom's wince, "Sorry… He slept with someone else. And things got really messy. And I didn't know if I wanted him to come home. So I told him not to. And he didn't. And now I'm here, trying to figure out what I want the next step to be."

When she was finished, Beth squeezed Emily's hand while the cousins watched Madeleine for her reaction. At first, there was shock. Then, as she had time to process the information, Madeleine's face softened and she reached over, placing her hand on the joined hands of the girls. "Can I give you some advice honey?" Beth smiled and nodded. "Don't tell your father… He has a revolver."

* * *

Byrd closed the laptop, a little concerned about having not received any emails from his teachers detailing his grades. He needed to know so he could work out his plans for the summer.

He pat his stomach, wondering if there were any leftovers in the kitchen. Making his way down the stairs, he heard the men laughing in the lounge room, and smiled. He really enjoyed Aaron's company and was glad that the guy was getting along with his grandpa. After all, if his mom was right (which she usually was), their family would be seeing a lot more of the agent.

Byrd chuckled to himself as he walked down the hall towards the kitchen, thinking about Emily and Aaron hooking up. He stopped in his tracks when he heard his mom's voice coming from the den. Quietly making his way to the door, he peeked through the tiny crack, observing his mom, Emily, and Nanna sitting in a circle. He wrinkled his brow, wondering if he was perhaps being witness to one of those weird female rituals he'd heard about in sociology.

Rolling his eyes at his own stupidity, he listened carefully.

"_He left. He packed his bags, went to Russell's and… I was a mess. And while he was gone, he fucked up…" She paused. "Sorry… He slept with someone else. And things got really messy. And I didn't know if I wanted him to come home. So I told him not to. And he didn't. And now I'm here, trying to figure out what I want the next step to be." _

Byrd frowned and stepped back for a moment, wondering if what his mom was saying could be true. If it was, and he didn't see any reason she would lie about these things, then there was so much more to his dad leaving than he'd been privy to. He leant forward again to keep listening. This time, there was just a very short piece thrown in the air.

"_Don't tell your father… He has a revolver."_

Byrd stepped back again, backing up the hallway, before he turned and bolted up the stairs. He flipped open his cell and hit speed dial 2, waiting as the phone rang. When he heard the click, and the person's voice, he took a deep breath.

"Dad. It's me. We're at Nanna's and Pa's now, but we'll be back in DC by Monday. You need to come here. You need to fix this. You need to make it all better."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: There's not alot happening in this chapter, but there is a little family awkwardness. This is mostly just Emily/Hotch stuff. With a little bit of our favourite diplomat thrown in.

* * *

"So do you wanna talk about it?"

Emily wrinkled her brow in confusion at Hotch's whispered question, "Talk about what?" A lot had happened since they'd arrived in New Jersey and she couldn't be sure about what the "it" Hotch was referring to.

Hotch glanced around the room, noting the various parties in differing stages of sleep. Beth was lying on one lounge, her head in her mom's lap while the latter rested an open magazine on her chest. And Jim was sitting back in the window-seat, reading a book. The two boys had gone to bed much earlier.

Hotch stood from the lounge and held out his hand for Emily, tipping his head towards the sunroom. She smiled and laced her fingers with his, following him towards the door. When they were both over the threshold, Hotch turned and gently closed the door behind them, then made his way over to join Emily on the window seat. He sat down and sighed, he nervously reached over to take her hands.

Hotch stayed silent for a while and Emily started to worry. He'd said he wanted to talk, but now he wasn't saying anything. She squeezed his hands and dropped her head down to catch his eyes. His dark, deep eyes. And Emily's heart began to beat a little faster. This talk could be about any number of things, but there was only one topic she'd been both hoping for and dreading at the same time.

"I…" Hotch started. But he suddenly stopped. He couldn't help but wonder if he was about to ruin everything. They were such close friends… best friends, he thought back on that conversation. If he opened his mouth now, was he going to ruin everything? He'd come to the conclusion that he had very strong feelings for the woman sitting next to him. Strong in the way of him making plans to marry, procreate, live happily ever after with her.

And based on what had been happening over the past months, and especially since they'd come to New Jersey, he'd come to a second conclusion that she felt the same way. A woman doesn't give you virtual free reign to touch her anywhere on her body unless she was considering a "happily ever after" also. Well… a woman like Emily doesn't.

But in spite of these conclusions, sitting here now, Hotch felt that little bubble of doubt begin to grow. The damn thing came up at the most inopportune times. And as much as he wanted to spill his guts to Emily and tell her everything he felt, he knew that he wasn't ready.

Another thought quickly came over him when he realized he'd started to tell her something then clammed up suddenly. And now she was looking at him with such concern… he knew he had to say _something. _

"I thought you might like the chance to vent… about what you girls were talking about earlier?" he finally said. He inwardly slapped himself over the back of the head at his own lack of courage. But then he reminded himself that it wasn't that he was _never _going to tell her how he felt. He just couldn't do it right now.

Emily wrinkled her brow in frustration. She had desperately been sending messages to Hotch ever since they were interrupted for dinner. And she'd been hoping that he'd be the one to take the first step. Yes, Emily was always the first to admit that she had quite a hefty suitcase of baggage when it came to personal relationships, but when it came down to the two of them, Hotch was definitely more gun-shy. So to speak.

And so when he'd pulled her up from the couch and dragged her to the sunroom, Emily could feel her heart start to beat faster. And he'd sat there like a stunned mullet, figuring out the words he would say. Of course, when he finally opened his mouth to speak, Emily was definitely disappointed.

"Uh… Ok… I…" Emily rolled her eyes in frustration. As much as she would've loved to have brought up the topic and maybe started them down the road to forever, Emily knew she had to put together some sort of comprehensive reply. She smiled bashfully and nodded, "Uh, I'm fine. Really," she started again, "Beth just needed to tell Aunty Maddie what was going on. Oh and make sure that Uncle Jim NEVER finds out…" Emily huffed and tipped her head to the side, "We all know about his extensive gun collection. And the fact that he has my father's emergency cell number on speed dial."

Hotch huffed. Gathering the pieces of information since he'd first met Beth, it was clear that there was a rather nasty family issue being worked out. And if his suspicions as to the details of that issue were correct, then Hotch was beginning to think he would not want to be in Huff's shoes right now. An angry father-in-law was one thing. But when your wife's uncle was as notorious in the CIA, FBI, DEA… hell anything with acronyms plus Interpol… that was a whole other kettle of fish.

Hotch nodded and squeezed Emily's hand, "Well just know if you want to talk about it… about anything. I'm here Em," he paused to look down at their joined hands, "I'm always here."

Emily bit her lip and nodded, feeling a sense of melancholy as she watched Hotch stand. Maybe he was waiting for her to bring it up. Maybe he was hinting that when he said "always," he meant forever. She stood to follow and suddenly her mouth operated without permission, "Hotch…" she paused and waited for him to turn around.

But when he turned and she saw the fear in his eyes… the fear that once they started down this road, they could never go back to the way things were… she smiled sadly and shook her head. Making her way over to him and squeezing his arm, she looked into his eyes, "Thanks."

* * *

"Rise and shine sleepy head!"

Hotch slowly peeled his eyes open, taking in the strange colours and shapes. His mind ticked over and he suddenly remembered where he was, and therefore why Emily and Jack had him surrounded while holding up two very plush looking pillows. He had just enough time to bring his hands up to cover his face before they both laid into him with their feather-filled weapons of choice.

It took about ten minutes for both assailants to lose their steam, at which point their enemy stood on the bed in victory. "They may take my bedding… but they'll never take… my FREEDOM!" he cried out, holding his hands in the air. Emily and Jack collapsed on the large bed, exhausted, and Emily looked up, laughing at the unusual display from her friend.

"Sit down you goofball!" she called out, "Before you pull a Willy Wonka and go through the ceiling." Emily reached over and ran her fingers over the tops of Hotch's feet, giving Jack the signal to do the same. And with their newfound attack strategy, Hotch was once again on his back and defending himself.

But this time, he had the skills and the knowledge to take down his opponents without them conceding defeat. And he decided to take out the little one first, seeing as Jack was the easier of the two when it came to pulling the boy to the dark side. He grabbed his small son in his arms, tickling his belly and whispering in his ear, "If you help me take down the girl, we can race your Hot Wheels cars when we get home."

And that was all it took.

Before she even knew what was happening, Emily was being bombarded by the two Hotchner boys, the big one holding her hands while the little one tickled her ribs.

"I surrender! I surrender!" Emily cried out, afraid she was about to wet the bed for the first time in 35 years. Jack shot his father a look and relinquished his tickling, while Hotch let go of Emily's hands.

Once she was free, Emily sat up and shook her head at their cheeky tactics. "I thought I had a lifelong ally in you," she stated emphatically, pointing at Jack. Hotch wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder's and grinned, "You will never steal my greatest comrade, Special Agent Prentiss."

Emily huffed and crossed her arms, trying with all her might to win the contest with a pout. But as she continued to lock her eyes on Hotch's, she couldn't help the smile that grew. And when he saw her face relax and her lips curl up, he grabbed her gently by the wrist and pulled her into his side, kissing the top of her head.

The three bedfellows lay there, enjoying the Sunday morning light streaming through the large windows, and relishing in the peace. And it was in that moment that Hotch mentally head-slapped himself once more for lacking the courage to tell her how he felt. As he'd pondered last night, he had no doubt that she felt the same way. But things were so perfect and he couldn't shake that nasty feeling that messing with it all could only lead to disaster. The disaster being that she wanted nothing to do with him.

Hotch was broken from his thoughts at the knock on the door and the familiar voice asking permission to enter. And when the body that went with the voice entered, Hotch felt his heart jump into his throat.

"Mother…?"

Emily's eyes widened and she sat up, surprise being an understatement for her current… state.

Elizabeth made her way through the door, expecting to find her daughter still snuggled under the covers. And when she entered the room that's what she found… though her daughter wasn't alone.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't know I was inter… " was all she managed to get out before she backed out of the room and headed back down the hall.

Emily turned to Hotch and bit her lip, "Guess we should get up huh?"

Hotch didn't say a word, his mouth suddenly dry and his heart suddenly beating faster and harder than house music in an LA nightclub on a Saturday night. He simply nodded and picked up his son, climbed off the bed, and followed Emily out of the room.

"Uh Mother!" Emily called out, chasing her down the hall with Hotch and Jack in tow. Emily just caught up to her as she reached the top of the stairs. She reached up and put her hand on her mother's shoulder, causing her to stop. When Elizabeth looked up, Emily almost cringed at the surprise on the normally composed woman's face.

"Uh… before you start going down a road you don't need to… this isn't what it looks like," Emily explained, gesturing with a thumb pointed over her shoulder. The confusion grew on Elizabeth's face and Emily knew she would have to explain a little more, "Jack was spending time with his grandmother in Oaklyn and Beth suggested that he and Hotch stay here for the weekend and we'd all drive home together tonight. It's not…" Emily huffed, "It's not what it looks like at all."

Elizabeth wrinkled her brow and looked over Emily's shoulder. Hotch was standing a few metres back, holding his son on his hip and looking petrified. Well, the Agent Hotchner version of petrified. Elizabeth huffed and wrinkled her brow further.

It certainly seemed like Emily was telling the truth, Elizabeth could always tell. And history certainly suggested that Agent Hotchner was a "by-the-books" agent and therefore would unlikely break the rules so blatantly as to date a subordinate.

But another thought came to Elizabeth and she studied her daughter's face as she turned back to check on the Hotchners. Elizabeth's jaw dropped, just slightly, as she finally understood. Her daughter was in love.

Elizabeth wasn't a profiler by any standards, but given that a large proportion of her work depended on her ability to read body language, and that she had seen Emily's behaviour with possible suitors before, she could never be more certain. The way that Emily was now looking at the two Hotchners, offering the older man a smile to settle his nerves.

And judging by the way that Agent Hotchner was looking at her daughter, Elizabeth knew that Emily's feelings were most definitely reciprocated.

She huffed to herself, wondering what the hell her daughter was doing wasting time. But instead of going down the usual path of uncomfortable conversations and advice that Emily would never follow, Elizabeth bit her tongue and nodded, reaching out a hand to squeeze Emily's shoulder.

"I believe you dear, and I apologize for barging in like that Agent Hotchner," she started.

"Aaron, please," Hotch interrupted.

Elizabeth nodded and smiled, "Aaron… I'm sure you can understand that I was definitely not expecting you to be in that room. So my apologies."

Emily bit the inside of her cheek, stopping herself from asking her mother if that was really all… where was the unsolicited advice? The judgment? Emily was stunned.

Elizabeth noted the confused look on her daughter's face and gave herself a metaphorical pat on the back. Her usually composed daughter was looking quite ruffled. And that was quite a coup. But instead of holding it over her head, Elizabeth simply nodded towards the two Hotchners in the background, "I just came up to let you know that breakfast is ready."

And with that, Elizabeth turned and headed down the stairs.

Emily's gaze followed her mother's exit, confused and concerned. Since when did her mother hold back on cajoling her? Since when did Ambassador Elizabeth Prentiss let Emily get away with anything? Emily felt Hotch's hand on her shoulder and turned her head to offer him an awkward smile.

Hotch huffed and guided Emily down the stairs, leaning forward to whisper softly, "At least we weren't having sex."

Emily laughed loudly and reached up to squeeze Hotch's fingers. And she couldn't help the path her mind took her, wondering if he was wanting to tack a "yet" on the end of that sentence. God only knows she did.

* * *

Hotch passed the basket of bread rolls to Emily and smiled as she cut and buttered a roll for Jack. She passed it over to the small boy and smiled as he took a bite, then remembered his manners, "Phasdk you Efmly," he mumbled around the bread. Emily chuckled and ran her fingers through his hair. She leant over to kiss the top of his head, then felt the eyes on her.

She glanced over at Hotch, who had his hand resting on the back of her chair, and offered him a smile. He returned the gesture and dropped his hand to her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

Elizabeth looked over at the pair, their eyes glued to one another's, then looked over at her brother. They shared a knowing look and Jim offered his sister a smile and a nod. He'd watched the two of them over the past couple of days. And he could tell that they cared deeply for each other. It was just a matter of time.


End file.
